


Fortification

by Kaytla



Series: Fortification [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-26
Updated: 2012-03-26
Packaged: 2017-11-02 13:29:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/369482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaytla/pseuds/Kaytla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the recent death of his father, Sesshomaru has assumed control of the Western Lands. But his new rule is under constant threat from opposition who would take his territory - and his head - if given the chance, and the proud daiyoukai is starting to feel the strain. Is asking for Inuyasha's help the only way to save his kingdom and his very life? Will the brothers be able to work together and make it through to the other side alive?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Sesshomaru struck out with his poisonous claws and felt the impact vibrate up his arm to his shoulder, but he didn't pull back. His eyes bled red when the beast's own talons - easily as long as his forearm - sunk into his side, but still he kept moving forward. His fangs descended, his snout began to elongate into true canine fashion, in response to the pain, but he would not withdraw.

This was his only chance, he knew. To push forward unrelentingly until the acid weakened the youkai's tough skin and allowed him to break through and grip the heart. The only uncertainty that remained was whether it would be his enemy's body or his own that gave out first.

His arm began to shake as he continued his assault; he felt the bones bowing under the pressure, ready to break at any moment. He lost his breath as the claws digging into his side clenched, tearing through flesh and snapping a rib like a twig.

The sudden, intense pain stole his balance. His feet slipped in the puddle of blood and acid he was spilling onto the dusty ground and he lurched forward; ironically, the additional pressure of his bodyweight broke through the youkai's tough skin and his claws finally pierced its heart.

Dead almost instantaneously, the thing dropped to the ground, nearly taking Sesshomaru with it. Only his stubborn refusal to show that kind of weakness kept the daiyoukai from collapsing as he clutched his profusely bleeding wound, the crimson leeching from his eyes as his face returned to normal.

He had others injuries, but they were minor nuisances in comparison. Mere scrapes and scratches, most of which had stopped bleeding already by this point. Yet they were each a testament to how much this endless cycle of battles was draining his strength.

As his retainers spilled out of the castle gates to aid him, Sesshomaru stared down at the defeated youkai. Some sort of dragon, he decided, though it had stood upright like a man and taller than he. It had wings, but all that remained of them now were tatters; Sesshomaru had made them his first target, eliminating his opponenent's major advantage.

The youkai likely bore no personal grudge against him. It was just another in a long line of challengers, hoping to knock him off the seat of power in the Western Lands. It was true that some who came to fight him had some vendetta against his father and saw fit to seek retribution by killing his son and heir the way they couldn't kill the Inu no Taisho, but those were becoming fewer every month. And they were usually stronger, as well, strong enough that his father had chosen not to seek battle with them rashly.

Which left him to deal with them, he thought tiredly.

The lung his rib had punctured had begun the task of healing itself when his servants arrived at his side, and so his breathing was as close to normal as his self-imposed control could make it as he looked down at his faithful, if irritating retainer.

"My lord!" cried the kappa, Jaken, as he fretted over the gaping wound in Sesshomaru's side. "My lord, you're hurt!"

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to strike the oft times incompetent imp. Only Jaken's unwavering loyalty and willingness to do whatever Sesshomaru commanded, however distasteful, kept him in service - or even alive.

"How observant of you," he bit out instead, struggling to hold back the wince speaking caused. He took two slow, measured breaths, then continued. "I require a bath, Jaken."

"At once!" he declared, and leapt to action - only to pause after travelling less than two feet back toward the castle. "Uh, my lord?"

"What?" Sesshomaru snapped, in no mood to be peppered with questions.

"Forgive me, my lord, but I was wondering if you might now consider -"

"The bath, Jaken," Sesshomaru interrupted sharply, losing patience. He aimed a glare in Jaken's direction. "If it is not ready by the time I reach my rooms, I will have your head on a pike outside the castle walls."

The kappa squeaked in terror and ran with all possible haste, moving so quickly he had to hold onto his little brown hat to keep it from falling off. Sesshomaru had no doubt his bath would be ready to step into when he made it to the castle. Nothing motivated a servant like a death threat, he always thought.

He waved off the silent offers of aid and walked stubbornly stiff-backed toward the castle with the rest of his servants following behind. His battle with the dragon youkai hadn't taken place far from his home, but every step had his side lighting up in agony; had he been a lesser demon, he would have screamed or, more satisfyingly, cursed.

He walked slowly over the thick, oak bridge - wide enough for three horses to stand abreast - and glanced at his reflection in the moat that ringed the high walls. Blood smeared his cheek, his neck, his hair; his white silk clothes were stained with dark red.

He looked tired, he noted, just as a stray leaf landed on the moat's surface and distorted the image before swiftly dissolving. For the moat was not filled with water, but a lethal toxin bespelled with an illusion of sight and scent to make it appear as such. It could dissolve the toughest armour, weapons and flesh; his mother had made sure of that when she created it.

He remembered burning his own hand when the idiot hanyou pup had thought to take a swim in it and he'd been forced to grab him before he landed in the water. It had taken a full week for his hand to return to normal, and without his mother's special salves, her poison may well have continued to eat at his flesh until his hand became useless. The scolding Inuyasha had received hadn't seemed to measure up to his misery.

Once inside with the gate - forged with youkai bone and fortified with strong magicks - closed behind them, the servants, knowing their master's mood, dispersed quickly and quietly to their duties, leaving Sesshomaru to walk through the fragrant gardens and into the castle alone except for lingering thoughts of Inuyasha.

They were more common of late, even though he hadn't seen the hanyou for almost three years. It was Inuyasha Jaken wanted him to "consider". To send for Inuyasha and request his help to beat back the seemingly endless line of youkai challengers, for surely two sons of the great inuyoukai were better than one.

With one hand still pressed against his side and blood leaking sluggishly through his slender fingers, Sesshomaru mounted the stairs, mentally scoffing at his retainer's foolish logic. Son of the Inu no Taisho Inuyasha may be, but he was still a half-breed. Whatever strength he had and would later gain, if he lived long enough, it would never match that of a full inuyoukai.

Beyond that, he was barely more than a child. The hanyou had experienced little more than two decades of life. It might make him a man in ningen terms, but a full-blooded youkai of his age _was_ still a child. Sesshomaru supposed a hanyou would fall somewhere inbetween.

The only merit to Inuyasha was... the Tetsusaiga, the sword forged from their father's fang. However, since the blade had only been bequeathed to him after the Inu no Taisho's death, the chances of him actually knowing how to call up its destructive powers were all but non-existent.

Sesshomaru entered his rooms as a familiar resentment bubbled up. As he'd done many times before, he thought his father had made the wrong choice. With the Tetsusaiga in his hand, no youkai would dare threaten the Western Lands for fear of his strength, and his dominion would have peace. Had his father truly not foreseen this?

Instead of a sword worthy of his power, he'd been given the Tenseiga, a blade that would not cut. How did his father expect him to rule in his stead with a sword that was not even a weapon?

But he could feel the resentment slipping away as fast as it came, too tired to hold onto it, to wonder again what his father had meant by the message he'd left with the old swordsmith, Totosai, that the sword had been entrusted to him for a reason.

Gingerly, able to hiss his pain now that he was alone as he pulled the silk of his clothes away from his wound, he undressed, letting the fabric fall to the floor carelessly. The entire left side of his body between his ribs and ankle was reddened with his blood and the wound itself now felt as though it was on fire.

Though he expected it to cause yet more pain, Sesshomaru steeled himself to bathe and stepped through another door and into his private bath house, where the empty room was filled with a light steam scented with the medicinal herbs poured into the water. He walked down the stone steps into the water itself and gently levered himself down to sit on the last step, clenching his teeth as the heat and herbs stung the open wound and the dried blood caking his skin began to dissipate in tiny pink swirls.

He found that the longer he sat still, the less the herbs hurt him. The wound was healing at a slower rate than usual, but he judged it would be fully closed within a day. He would not be at his best, but he'd be able to face the next challenger without significant handicap.

Sesshomaru sunk lower into the water and leaned his head back against the smooth stone rim, his eyes closing as he considered yet again the pros and cons of bringing Inuyasha to the castle until he fell asleep.

When his eyes opened again, he was staring at the canopy of his bed. He didn't have time to wonder how he got there when a flood of youki drowned his senses and powerful, unfamiliar scents all but clogged his nose. His eyes darted around, found them ringing his bed, all shapes and sizes, some resembling animals and some like beasts he'd never seen before. He could hear the sounds of clashing weapons, screams and running all throughout the castle.

He leapt into action then, darting through a gap between two youkai, but before he could do more than turn to face them, they were upon him. So many, in such close quarters and with him still weak from recent battle, and he could barely defend, let alone launch an attack of his own. Poison from his claws misted the air, but seemed to have little if any affect on his attackers.

It was a relentless assault, blows raining down so quickly he could barely register them as separate strikes, driving the proud daiyoukai to his knees until he finally had to give up all pretense of defence and brace his hands against the floor to prevent himself falling completely. The acid haze drifted away with the last of his strength.

His vision began to dim as he struggled to stay conscious. With injuries both internal and external, the pain was immense, too much to properly absorb; blood dripped steadily to the floor from tears in his flesh, and leaked into his body from ruptured organs. His right arm couldn't properly support his weight and every tremor it made shot fire from the break all the way up to his shoulder. For the first time since he was a pup clutching at his mother's sleeves, Sesshomaru felt truly helpless and vulnerable.

A rough hand fisted in his hair, claws scraping against his scalp, and jerked his head up. He saw a blurred shape pass in front of his face, but couldn't tell it was a sword until the cold metal pressed against his neck. Somewhere nearby, he could hear Jaken calling for him, panicked: "My lord! Answer me, Lord Sesshomaru!"

His eyes closed sluggishly and refused to open even as he tried to will his battered body into action, to resist this execution. The blade began to whisper across his throat and, in an act of pure desperation, Sesshomaru reared up...

His eyes snapped open with a violent splash of cold water as he bolted upright in the bath. His heart was hammering against his chest in what he vaguely recognised as fear, and his breaths came out in harsh pants. And Jaken was still calling for him.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The imp sounded on the verge of hysterics, knocking on the door with his tiny fists. "Please speak to me, Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Jaken," Sesshomaru acknowledged.

"Oh, my lord!" The relief was evident in his voice. "Thank goodness! I had begun to worry something might have -"

"Jaken," Sesshomaru interrupted. "Why have you disturbed my bath?"

"Forgive me, my lord," Jaken squeaked, now sounding nervous. How the kappa handled his emotions shifting so rapidly, Sesshomaru would never understand. "Another youkai is outside, demanding a battle! He claims he's come to avenge his brother, whom you slew earlier."

In the now dark bathroom, Sesshomaru closed his eyes briefly. Another battle so soon would test his limits. Though it felt as though the wound in his side had all but closed, it still was not healed entirely. As he left the bath and wrapped a robe around himself, it throbbed with a dull fire and hindered quick movements. He gritted his teeth in irritation.

He exited the bathroom, ignoring Jaken's frantic squawking as he crossed to the other side of his bedroom and slipped behind the intricately pattered dividing screen. Not all of his servants were quite as incompetent as the kappa, he thought, as he eyed the dark silks laid out for him to change into. The deep blues and greens would do well to hide blood stains.

Not bothering to dry himself off, Sesshomaru changed as quickly as his wound would allow, his thoughts circling around Inuyasha and his dream.

Had it been a simple nightmare, brought on by stress, fatigue and concerns over the fate of his land and, yes, his own life? Or had it been a premonition, a warning of a potential future if he carried on along the same path?

Ordinarily, the rational Sesshomaru would have dismissed such an idea as ludicrous, but the intensity of the scents, sounds, pain were still too vivid now. He could almost feel the gouges in his skin from claws, the stench of the youkai in his nose. It felt more like a horridly fresh memory than a mere dream.

If it was a premonition, what did it mean? That he simply couldn't win this fight alone? Who, then, could he rely on but a half-breed whelp? There was no one he could trust to defend the land and not betray him but the hanyou, and even that was not absolute, given their less than amicable relationship. Inuyasha had attachments to their father only, not the land he'd once ruled.

And besides that, there was always his lack of combat skill and experience. If he truly was unable to awaken Tetsusaiga's awesome power, Inuyasha was left with only his claws. Sesshomaru had once seen him fight thus; he'd looked more like a feral dog than a noble inuyoukai as he leapt and slashed without grace or form, snarling all the while, as he hacked lesser youkai scum to shreds.

But he didn't have to stay so unrefined, Sesshomaru suddenly realised. He could be taught how to handle himself properly in battle, and perhaps even draw out his sword's power. Though he did not relish the thought of spending so much time with his little brother, for the sake of his land and his family's honour, Sesshomaru would endure it.

Dressed, he stepped out from behind the divider and walked to the door. With his claws curled loosely around the handle, he paused.

"Jaken." Instantly, the imp's worried muttering silenced. "Bring Inuyasha to the castle." Without a backward glance, in no mood to see Jaken celebrate his victory, he swept from the room to meet another challenger head on.


	2. Chapter Two

Sitting on a river bank with his hakama rolled up to his knees and his feet dangling in the water, Inuyasha glared at the Tetsusaiga resting on his lap. Eight months had passed since his father died and that old geezer, Totosai, had dropped off the sword and, so far, it had been about as useful as a twig in battle.

The hunk of crap was rusty as shit and no matter how long and often he tried, he couldn't get the damn thing to sharpen. As it was, it could barely cut a blade of grass, let alone a youkai. Just what exactly did his old man expect him to do with it?

Totosai had claimed it had some great, awesome power, but he was starting to suspect the grubby old man was pulling his leg. He made a mental note to find out where the old codger was hiding and beat the ever loving crap out of him for dumping a useless sword on him.

Setting Tetsusaiga on the ground beside him, Inuyasha leaned back and looked up at the twilight sky. It had already been eight months, huh? It still felt strange, not having the Inu no Taisho around. Each day, he still kind of expected the old dog to show up without warning so they could talk about nothing in particular for hours, or work on his swordplay.

He missed it.

The hanyou huffed out a breath and kicked lazily at a fish getting too curious about his toes. He listened to the silence. How long had it been since he'd spoken to another person? No one wanted a hanyou around, after all. No one, that is, except his dad. His only living relative, the fucking Ice Prince of the West, wanted nothing to do with him and he'd made sure that Inuyasha never forgot that.

Not that he was lonely or anything. He was used to spending long stretches on his own when his dad went off on long journeys relating to this or that boring duty he'd never paid attention to. Even though he knew this time the Inu no Taisho wouldn't be coming back, he wouldn't be lonely.

He'd get used to the idea that his dad wasn't gonna be around anymore. He'd get used to being on his own. You couldn't rely on anyone, anyway. If your own flesh and blood turned their stinkin' noses up at you like you were some shit on their shoe, who needed 'em?

Not him, that's for sure.

He puffed out his cheeks and looked around. Not even a fucking squirrel. Gods, but it was boring, if nothing else. At least before, he'd had something to look forward to. Not just the time with his dad, but the travelling around, trying to see if he could somehow lose the old dog. He never had.

And he'd never thought he'd lose him forever.

Making an irritable sound, Inuyasha dragged a hand roughly through his untidy mane. It was no good acting all depressed and shit. It was over and done with; the old man was bones. Moping around wasn't gonna bring him back, and he couldn't keep doing this to himself. It was time to move on, find something else to occupy himself with.

Filled with new determination, Inuyasha pulled his feet out of the water and stood, stretching. He stared at Tetsusaiga in his hand, and grinned. _That_ would be his goal. No matter how long it took, he would figure out what the hell he needed to do to unleash this "awesome power" that was supposed to be inside it and do the old dog proud.

With this new goal in mind, Inuyasha secured the sword at his waist and marched through the trees until he reached a sizeable clearing. Planting himself in the middle, he unsheathed Tetsusaiga in a slow, dramatic fashion, then brought the sword up to his face.

He frowned at the blade. Dull as ever. "I dunno how the hell this thing's meant to be powerful," he muttered to himself, running a thumb across its chipped edge. "Oh, well," he said and shrugged. "I'll figure it out eventually, I suppose."

He planted his feet firmly on the ground and held the sword out at arm's length. Breathing deeply, he searched within himself for the power he was sure must be there and tried to channel it into the sword, brow furrowing in concentration, grip tight on the Tetsusaiga's hilt.

Thirty seconds of this and he felt stupid, glaring at the blade as though it had personally offended him.

"Grah!" he shouted, and swung it through the air. Nothing.

"Agh!" He swung it again, this time to the side. "Ha!" Back down. "Hya!" Up.

Not even a fizzle.

Starting to get annoyed, as he usually did with the sword, he launched into a fast, aggressive flurry of motions, swinging the sword in quick, random patterns, not sticking to any of the forms his father had taught him, just trying to spark any damn sign of life in the Tetsusaiga at all. All he succeeded in doing was making his arm ache.

However, still floating on the tide of his new determination, Inuyasha continued swinging his sword to and fro, faster and faster, until a voice spoke nearby and he almost fell flat on his face.

"What are you doing?"

Inuyasha only managed to keep his balance because of the whiplash of irritation that swept through him. He knew that damn voice. His bastard brother's stupid little frog thing, who so obviously wanted to hump his leg it had long since passed disturbing.

Whirling on his toes and managing to find solid footing again, Inuyasha pointed his arm - and by extension, Tetsusaiga - at Jaken. "None of your damn business, you snivelly little toad," he snapped. "What the fuck are you doing here, anyway?"

"Toad?!" Jaken squawked in indignation, his voice grating on the hanyou's ears as always. "I am not a toad, you ignorant half-breed! I am a kappa, and from a noble lineage, I'll have you know! And as Lord Sesshomaru's servant, I - OW!"

Inuyasha lifted Tetsusaiga from where he'd smacked Jaken on the head with it, effectively dazing him, and peered curiously at the injury. It was already forming a nice sickly pink swelling, but the skin hadn't broken. Sighing, he picked at some of the Tetsusaiga's rust with a claw.

"Still can't cut a youkai, huh? Not even a weak little reptile like Jaken," he said to no one in particular. "And I put a lot of effort into that swing, too..."

Jaken snapped out of his daze. "A toad is not a reptile, you fool! And I'm not a toad!" Cringing, he touched the new bump on his head. "You were actually trying to kill me, weren't you?! Foul, disgraceful, miserable half-breed!"

He might have carried on, but Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga above his head and the little beak snapped shut. "Shut up," the hanyou growled, annoyed at being corrected. "Answer my damn question, _toad_."

"You are such a rude hanyou!" Jaken shouted, irate, waving his ugly ass stick at him. "I don't have to tell you anything! I only do as Lord Sesshomaru wishes!"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Whatever. Just get the fuck out of here before I skewer you on my Tetsusaiga, got it?"

"No, no, I can't leave!" Jaken cried, clutching his staff desperately. "I bring a message of greatest importance from Lord Sesshomaru!"

Inuaysha yawned. "Like I care."

Jaken gaped. "You should care!"

One ear flicked. "Oh, yeah? Strangely, I just don't. Now get back home and tell that asshole I don't want him sending me anymore ugly messengers."

"Miserable half-breed! Filthy ingrate!"

Inuyasha reared back a foot. "If you don't get going, I'll send you back myself. One..."

Jaken screamed, hopping up and down in his impatience. "You have to come to the castle!"

"I don't gotta do nothin'. And you can tell that bastard as much. Two..."

"But Lord Sesshomaru needs your help, Inuyasha!" Jaken cried, stooping so low as to call the hanyou by his name out of sheer desperation.

"Whatever shit the asshole's got himself into, he can deal with it on his own," Inuyasha countered, but he stopped counting. Despite himself, he was curious. Sesshomaru never even so much as admitted he had a problem, let alone asked for help. Something big must be going on.

"If you don't come back with me, Lord Sesshomaru might _die_!" Jaken wailed dramatically, falling to his knees as he started to sob.

Now Inuyasha was definitely curious. Not that he actually cared; after all, there'd been plenty of times when he'd nearly died, and Sesshomaru hadn't lifted a finger. Hadn't even cared. So why the hell should he care if the bastard bit the dust?

He sheathed Tetsusaiga and folded his arms, staring down at the sobbing imp. "Oi, shut it!" he snapped, and waited for him to stop crying. "What's going on at the castle?"

"It's _awful_ ," Jaken moaned, then proceeded to explain about the demons coming out to challenge Sesshomaru in droves to try and steal control of the land. Why it was so important to them, Inuyasha had no idea, but because of it, Sesshomaru was getting more and more tired and less able to fight.

"So he expects me to go charging over there, start fighting and save his ass?" he interjected, snorting.

"No!" the toad said, offended. "Someone who can't even wield the Tetsusaiga could never match up to Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Then what the hell does he want?" Inuyasha growled, angry all over again, but unable to deny his inability to use his sword.

Jaken sniffed. "Lord Sesshomaru knows how to wield it."

Inuyasha whipped his sword out so fast, the kappa didn't see it until it cracked across the top of his head again and he sprawled in the dirt. Inuyasha growled and yanked him up to eye level, glaring in his face.

"Is that what he wants me to go back there for?" he demanded. "Does he expect me to just roll over and let him have the Tetsusaiga? The old man gave it to me, not him!"

"Lord Sesshomaru... knows how to use it..." Jaken murmured faintly, his eyes unfocused. "Maybe... you could learn... then help..."

Intrigued with the idea, Inuyasha let him drop back to the ground. He didn't fully trust it, as he wouldn't put anything past the frigid bastard, and it may well be a trap to lure him in and take his sword. When he'd asked Totosai what kind of gift Sesshomaru had been given after their dad's death, he'd learned a bit about the other sword... Tenseiga, he thought it was. Apparently, it couldn't do any kind of damage at all. He knew Sesshomaru was probably really pissed about that, and it had given him great pleasure at the time to imagine it. Now, he was worried what Sesshomaru might do to get his claws on the useful sword.

Still, despite the danger, it had merit. If he kept his guard up and didn't relax, he might get something very useful out of it. He'd been trying for months to get the damn sword to reveal its true power to him, but it just wouldn't come, and if Sesshomaru knew the secret... Take advantage of every opportunity, the Inu no Taisho had once said.

Grinning to himself, Inuyasha resheathed Tetsusaiga and once again grabbed the practically unconscious toad, hoisting him up, staff and all. "You got yourself a deal, toadie," he said happily. "We're heading back to the castle."

A two-headed dragon was waiting at the edge of the clearing. Inuyasha vaguely recognised it as being one of the castle's mounts and headed over, hopping up onto its back and dumping Jaken behind him. If he fell off, he fell off; Inuyasha hardly cared.

As soon as he touched the reins, the dragon took off. Inuyasha assumed it had something to do with the fire on its feet, because the thing didn't have any wings, and it sort of... hovered, more than flew. He wasn't entirely comfortable with it and wished the beast would fly lower just in case it did fall.

"I hope you know the way back home," he muttered, pretty sure it wouldn't understand him anyway. " 'Cause I sure as hell don't from here."

One of the two heads brayed in what he assumed was meant to be a comforting manner, and he decided to let the matter rest. Worst case scenario, he'd wake Jaken up and make him steer the damn thing. It didn't seem like he was going to wake up on his own any time soon, at least; he was out cold now and even starting to drool a little. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and looked away.

Staring off into the distance ahead, he wondered if the castle had changed. He hadn't been there since he'd been young. The animosity directed at him from the servants and their children - and, most importantly, Sesshomaru and his mother - made it a very unpleasant place to live and he'd convinced his father to let him live outside the castle walls when it became clear that not even the threat of the Inu no Taisho's wrath would keep their venom at bay.

Would it still be the same? What would he have to endure for the sake of learning his sword's secret? If Jaken's attitude was anything to go by, probably a lot of sneering and insults, but nothing overtly threatening. He wasn't a pup they could terrify anymore. And he had a foul mouth that could contend with any and all of theirs. He wasn't vulnerable anymore.

He shook himself out of the memories as the trees thinned out underneath them and the castle loomed tall and proud in the distance. As the dragon swept lower, the thick scent of youkai blood wafted up to them, strong enough to make Inuyasha gag. There was so much of it, and from so many different youkai, that he could damn near taste it.

It seemed Jaken hadn't been lying about an endless stream of challengers. Though no bodies remained outside the castle walls, the scent was telling enough. And Sesshomaru had fought this many by himself? The hanyou felt a grudging respect well up; even if his brother was a bastard, he was a fucking strong bastard.

The dragon touched down on a thick oak bridge and Inuyasha jumped down, staring up at the huge gate. He supposed it was supposed to intimidate would-be challengers and impress visitors, but to him, it had always looked macabre; it was like a huge mural of war carved from the bones of those who had been foolish enough to challenge the powerful inuyoukai in the past, long before even his father was a pup. Forever etched into the aged ivory was half a dozen bloody battles remembered in his family's history, a testament to the strength of his line.

Inuyasha just thought of it as a really grim way to invite a guest into one's house. Kind of like saying you welcomed them, but if they fucked up, you'd tear them to pieces. No wonder Sesshomaru constantly acted like a bear with a sore tooth.

The gates opened then, slowly in true grandiose fashion, revealing the lush gardens within and the quiet bustle of servants rushing to and fro about their duties. And there, standing on the steps leading up to the castle and awaiting his arrival, was Sesshomaru.


	3. Chapter 3

Standing just inside the castle gates, Inuyasha stared at Sesshomaru as he stood immobile at the other end of the castle's gardens. The daiyoukai neither beckoned or welcomed him, just stood there silently and expectantly, waiting for Inuyasha to make all the effort, like the stuck-up, arrogant bastard he was.

Growling low in the back of his throat, Inuyasha decided Sesshomaru was even more of a self-important prick than he'd been before. He grabbed the unconscious toad from the dragon's back and started trudging up the path toward the castle, his shoulders hunched defensively.

He could feel their eyes on him. Some even stopped what they were doing to stare at him, just like they did back then. Every set of eyes was like a brand, marking him as _less_ than them for having human blood. Some of those he glared at, he recognised as servants who'd been there when he was a pup, the ones who'd sneered and spat at him whenever they caught him alone. He couldn't even remember the number of sly kicks and smacks he'd been forced to dodge over the years.

Well, just let them try it now. He may not have fancy poison claws like his bitch of a brother, but he could certainly tear them a new asshole if they so much as breathed on him. If they just left him alone, though, he'd leave it be as well.

He knew they'd never accept him because of his _taint_ , so it was the best he could hope for.

He'd thought more than once now that even his father unconsciously looked down on him for it. He knew the old man cared about him, that much had been obvious, but he'd left Inuyasha with nothing but a sword. In the Western Lands, he had no title or position of power, just a claim to sharing blood with the former and current rulers. Granted, he didn't give a shit about the politics involved in running youkai territory, but it would have been nice for the old dog to try to give him some standing in this land. Maybe he just didn't think a hanyou would be able to cut it.

That was why it was only the youkai who had lived here back when he'd been a pup who even knew what he looked like. Youkai of status and rank wouldn't even recognise him if he cartwheeled past them naked, but they tripped over themselves just to stand in Sesshomaru's presence. That was what came with having the kind of upbringing he'd had, and the kind of blood the flowed through his veins.

Hanyou just didn't get that kind of consideration.

Not that he was bitter or anything.

Inuyasha mentally scoffed at himself. Who the hell was he kidding? Sure he was. Their father had given everything but the Tetsusaiga to Sesshomaru. He'd left it to Sesshomaru to carry on in his stead as Lord of the West, entrusting all ambitions and responsibilities to just one son. From what little he understood of the so-called functional family dynamic, he was aware the firstborn son was naturally the heir, but couldn't he at least have been offered _something_? Admittedly, he would have turned it down flat, having no interest in politics or making things easier for Sesshomaru, but surely the Inu no Taisho had known him well enough to realise he'd _want_ to be asked? It would have made him feel like he was worth something as a son.

And if he had taken some stupid position at the castle, he certainly wouldn't greet his guests with a hoity-toity attitude that made them well aware he thought of them as less than scum like Sesshomaru was currently doing. Then again, the bastard had never spared much time or attention on him; Inuyasha supposed it would be the same with his manners as well. He should be grateful the amazing and wonderful Lord Asshole had even come to see him at all.

He guessed not even Sesshomaru could reconcile dragging him all the way back here and then ignoring him completely. Still, now that he was here, he wasn't going to let it all play out the way Sesshomaru wanted it. He'd get what he came for, and then he'd be gone before the bastard even knew what happened.

He drew level with Sesshomaru and stared straight into his face the way he hadn't dared to do as a pup. He noticed Sesshomaru was wearing dark, sombre colours compared to his usual white and red - ice and death, Inuyasha had always been reminded of - and wondered what the hell was up with him. Still mourning? Taking it a bit far, in his opinion. He didn't get the entire ceremony surrounding death; you said your goodbyes and that was it.

His nose twitched as it registered Sesshomaru was also wearing some sort of heavy scent that was undeniably... floral. It was so powerful, in fact, that he couldn't smell _Sesshomaru_ at all. Not that he wanted to, of course, but it was strange. He'd never known his brother to wear anything but his own scent before. Maybe becoming daiyoukai had shoved his head even further up his ass.

Inuyasha hoisted Jaken up between their faces. "Don't send me anymore fucking annoying messengers," he said flatly, and let Jaken drop, the unconscious imp landing with a dull thud at the base of the castle steps. Inuyasha watched Sesshomaru's eyebrow lift slightly as he looked down at his servant, then back up.

"I see your manners have not improved, hanyou, if this is how you greet your host."

Inuyasha bit the inside of his mouth hard enough that he tasted blood and mentally counted to ten. He wasn't going to rise to the bait and tell the bastard what he thought of _his_ manners. He was going to play along until he got what he wanted...

But Sesshomaru was watching him with that knowing look in his eyes...

Oh, fuck this.

"Oh, yeah? At least I was fucking decent enough to drag my ass over here to help you out, and you can't even be bothered to walk down to the damn gate? You make me come to you when you're the one asking for my help? You're a real piece of work, Sesshomaru. But I'm not gonna be kissing your ass like that damn frog."

"I don't believe I ever asked you to," the daiyoukai replied after a moment, turning back to the castle before Inuyasha could get a word in. "Follow me."

Pissed at this blatant dismissal of the issue, Inuyasha started grinding his teeth together so hard, he could hear them squeaking as he followed his son of a bitch brother into the castle.  
\---

They ascended the stairs in silence.

Silence, at least, except for the incessant grinding and squeaking coming from the hanyou's mouth. Sesshomaru bit back the urge to strike him or curse, or even sigh. He would not let Inuyasha know how much of a toll this endless fighting was taking on his mental health as well as his body. Just requesting his younger, _weaker_ brother's help was embarrassing enough.

He would never understand what their father saw in Inuyasha. A parent's love for a child extended only so far as the need to protect and nurture that child until they were able to fend for themselves. The hanyou had long since passed that stage; weakest of the two sons he may be, but against ordinary youkai rabble, even Sesshomaru would grudgingly admit Inuyasha was a destructive force in his own right. It was only natural for one who carried even diluted inuyoukai blood.

Yet their esteemed father had continued to shelter and nurture his half-blood child well into maturity, while ignoring his pureblood heir. Sesshomaru hadn't understood then, and still didn't to this day. He had thought his bond with his father unshakable until Inuyasha arrived.

From that moment on, the Inu no Taisho became his general more than his father. Their conversations devolved to focus on his responsibilities as heir, and the knowledge he would need to rule. Their time spent together became restricted almost entirely to training and little else. His father spent all other times with his ningen woman and the tainted child they created, leaving his mate and firstborn behind in silent bitterness.

He had seen them together on more than one occasion when even his father hadn't been aware of his presence (and that alone had been proof enough that his training was complete, hadn't it?). Rolling in the mud and getting covered in filth, running and chasing each other like a pair of pups, laughing like they were having the time of their lives acting like fools.

Sesshomaru had expected it from an uncouth mongrel such as his brother, but from their father, a proud and noble daiyoukai who held one of the largest territories in the country? It had been an unpleasant shock, for buried underneath his affronted dignity had been, he could privately admit, a flare of jealousy. Not even in his youth had his father played with him in that way. From when he was first able to understand, there had been lessons and training and duty before fun. Not so for Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru still did not understand why such unreserved affection was granted to the hanyou who did nothing to please their father, while Sesshomaru had done everything he was ever asked to do, and more besides. He had done everything he possibly could to honour the Inu no Taisho and their noble lineage. So why... did his father choose Inuyasha, time and again?

Then and now, Inuyasha was scruffy, unrefined, lacking in intelligence and most likely unwashed. Fortunately, with his nose dulled as it was, he couldn't verify the latter was true now, but it had been in the past. Getting the pup to bathe after he came home from one of his adventures in the surrounding woods smelling like he'd rolled around in a dung heap like a common stray had been a monumental task.

Despite all this, the hanyou remained the favoured son, even after their father's death. Didn't the Tetsusaiga prove as much? The most precious heirloom went to the most precious son.

With difficulty, Sesshomaru stifled another sigh. He had to let this go. It wouldn't do for him to get so worked up that Inuyasha realised something was amiss. He had already exposed one vulnerability to the hanyou; he would reveal no more.

Focusing back on his brother, the daiyoukai finally realised the irritating grinding had ceased and turned his head just slightly to look over his shoulder.

Inuyasha suddenly looked uncharacteristically pensive. He'd lost his aggressive stance, no longer holding the Tetsusaiga in a way that suggested he was ready to draw it at a moment's notice, and was instead looking around. Sesshomaru wondered if perhaps he'd finally noticed just where they were actually going.

By the time they finally reached their destination just a few minutes later, Sesshomaru was certain. There were shadows in Inuyasha's eyes as he stared at the door, and his shoulders seemed to droop over so slightly. Curious, Sesshomaru watched him in silence for some time.

"Aren't you going to go in?" he finally asked quietly. "The bed has been prepared for your arrival. Everything else is just as you left it."

Inuyasha blinked and looked at him. "It is?"

"It is," the daiyoukai confirmed.

The hanyou seemed to struggle for a moment. "Why?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "You cannot guess?" When no retort was forthcoming, just a silent stare, he relented and explained. "Father always hoped you would return, even after you were all grown and... self-sufficient."

"He did, huh?" Inuyasha murmured to himself. It was clearly a rhetorical question, however, and Sesshomaru lapsed back into silence as Inuyasha opened the door and stepped inside.

The room itself was nothing special; compared to others, it was downright plain. But this had been where his childhood began, where his memories of his mother were. For the longest time, Inuyasha simply stood and silently looked at things: the bed, the vanity table his mother used, the children's toys scattered around the room.

It occurred to Sesshomaru that he had never seen Inuyasha so still and quiet before. He was always bursting with energy, never sitting still, fighting or cursing or getting into trouble. Never... small like this. It was oddly disconcerting, but he couldn't fathom why.

But Inuyasha seemed to be regaining a modicum of control. When he turned back to face Sesshomaru, his inner struggles with his memories were almost entirely hidden.

"So you've stuck me in the room next to yours, huh? Worried I might change my mind and leave you to clean up this shit on your own?"

It took more effort than it should to remain calm and not let the antagonistic whelp get to him. "Not at all. I now sleep in father's old room."

Inuyasha's eyes cleared completely. "What? Why?"

Sesshomaru had difficulty ignoring the obvious disapproval. "That room is where the daiyoukai of this castle sleep. Such is the way it has been for generations." That wasn't his only motivation, though, not that he would ever allow Inuyasha to know that. After his father's sudden death, he had felt bereft, despite the resentment he'd carried. He'd simply wanted to keep a piece of him close.

"Fine. Whatever." He leaned against the doorframe. "Let me get one thing clear, Sesshomaru. I'm only here to tidy up this mess, and then I'm out. Other than that, I want to be left alone. So you tell your mother to stay the hell away from me, got it?"

The daiyoukai's jaw clenched ever so slightly. "You would do well not to disrespect my mother, Inuyasha," he warned. "However, she left the castle shortly after father's death, so you needn't fret. She claimed her duty here was done and she was needed no longer after his passing."

"I'm not fretting!" the hanyou snapped. "Besides, like I care why she's gone. I'm just glad she is." He tucked his hands into the sleeves of his haori. "Anyway, we've been chatty enough for one day. I'm tired. We can start this shit tomorrow."

He stepped back into the room, hand on the door to close it, but paused with it halfway shut. "Oh, and by the way, Sesshomaru, there's something I've been meaning to tell you..."

The hanyou beckoned with his free hand and, in spite of himself, Sesshomaru leaned forward minutely. Then Inuyasha grinned ferally and said: "You smell like a damn woman."

The door closed with finality, leaving Sesshomaru blinking in surprise.

He smelled... like a woman, did he? Well, he supposed it was unfortunately true, and he would have to live with the consequences. It was better than Inuyasha finding out the truth.

A slender hand fell down and rested against his right thigh, and even that slight pressure had Sesshomaru stifling a wince, as he'd been doing with every step up to this floor. He'd sustained yet another severe wound, this time from the second dragon youkai. It had been far more cunning than its brother and had taken advantage of a brief window of opportunity, sinking its massive teeth into the flesh of his leg. His thigh muscle might have been torn away completely if he hadn't rammed his poison claws into the beast's eyes.

That had been the previous day and, though his abilities and the herbs his servants prepared for him had aided in healing, the tears and the damage weren't quite gone yet. Another day, perhaps two. Until then, he would have to keep dousing himself in this ridiculous potion to keep Inuyasha from finding out about his injuries.

It was a concoction of his mother's that she'd left behind; ingenious, as they always were. This particular potion nullified even the most sensitive youkai's sense of smell while leading them to believe they were simply surrounded by the scent of flowers, fooling them into believing their noses were still functioning. It seemed to have worked exactly as expected on Inuyasha.

An added benefit, of course, was that he found it irritating to be able to smell his own blood. To know that these youkai were inflicting such pain and injury on him caused him great anger, and he longed for the return of his full strength and stamina so that he could return that pain tenfold to those that remained.

Beyond that, it was simply embarrassing. A weakness he shouldn't have, one that prevented him walking far without the muscles cramping, seizing. One Inuyasha should never learn about, even if it meant not defending himself when accused of poor manners.

With his thoughts brought full circle back to his brother, Sesshomaru realised he was still standing outside his Inuyasha's door. Another thing that would be embarrassing if discovered, and so Sesshomaru moved away as quickly as his injury would allow and returned to his room to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is meant to reflect how they're alike in the sense that they think about the same things, right down to being annoyed with each other's appearance, but at the same time, it's still... different. Because they're different in many ways, too. So hopefully that came across.
> 
> And for anyone who wants to say they're being whiney... well, yeah. But they're both younger than usual, and they're both still upset over Inupapa. And they're jealous little puppies, too. So cut them some slack, they do some growing up later on. xD


	4. Chapter 4

For almost a fortnight, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had purposefully avoided each other except when absolutely necessary. In a castle the size of their father's, it wasn't a difficult task, and so they only met in the castle grounds at noon each day for practice.

It had not been going as well as Sesshomaru had hoped. He hadn't realised until the disappointment set in that he had actually been placing some faith in his brother's strength and abilities. Yet despite his best efforts, Inuyasha seemed no closer to even being able to make the Tetsusaiga show its true form, let alone call the Kaze no Kizu.

There had been a brief ray of hope at the start. Perhaps that was what had given him such expectations. The first day of training, he had planned to start with the basics, only to suffer a terrible shock when Inuyasha not only successfully parried his initial blow but also nearly knocked the training sword from his hand.

After a moment of stunned silence, realisation had set in. "Father trained you."

Inuyasha had snorted. "'Course he did. What the hell d'you think we used to do? Go fishing or some shit?"

"What, indeed," the daiyoukai had murmured in reply, but he'd let the matter drop.

Truthfully, he'd had no idea their father had been training Inuyasha as well. Though he had spied on their activities when Inuyasha had still been a child, back when he was still trying to fathom what, exactly, drew the Inu no Taisho to a grubby little half-breed, he had long since stopped. He'd had no desire to see their bond grow with his own eyes.

Now, though, he was left wondering what their father had planned for Inuyasha, if anything. Was it merely to teach him to defend himself, or had he been preparing the hanyou for something more? Certainly he hadn't felt compelled to discuss it with his eldest son and heir.

Whatever it was, it hadn't progressed very far. When Sesshomaru had upped the ante in their training, he had discovered Inuyasha's form was mediocre at best. He understood the basics, but the finer points of swordplay were lost on him. Predicting an opponent's movements, too, seemed beyond him, but at least his reactions were admirably quick; it was becoming more and more difficult for Sesshomaru to catch him on a blind spot.

However, his temper spoiled much of his potential progress. It didn't take much for him to snap; a comment here, a well-aimed barb there, and the hanyou was quite willing to resort to fangs, claws and dirty tactics to try and inflict any damage he could. Sesshomaru would be just as willing to nurture that style of fighting if it would lead to _some_ progress with the Tetsusaiga, but every avenue was a dead end.

The daiyoukai was beginning to wonder if the entire thing was an exercise in futility.

He stifled a sigh and bent stiffly to retrieve one of the training swords, gritting his teeth against the spasm of pain that ran up his back. Just a matter of days ago, he'd received another challenger, and yet again he'd been betrayed by his flagging strength and stamina. He'd become tired and, humiliatingly, he'd taken a blow to his back.

Never in his life had Sesshomaru allowed an enemy behind him. He had always been faster, stronger, able to defend himself without significant effort. Now...

Was he so much weaker than his father, who had defended this land for centuries without mishap? Or was it simply that he was no longer able to hide how much he was struggling, drawing more and more youkai out to seek his head? It certainly felt as though the numbers were increasing of late, but perhaps that was simply due to his fatigue.

Sesshomaru looked up at the sky. Exactly noon, by his estimation. Inuyasha should be arriving shortly. He was never early, as though he couldn't bear the thought of spending even an extra few minutes with his older brother. It mattered not to Sesshomaru, who was seriously considering sending the hanyou away rather than continue such fruitless pursuits.

As if on cue, he heard Inuyasha's steps approaching. "Let's get this shit over with," came the hanyou's idea of a greeting, but Sesshomaru had given up being irritated by his crass manners. It was just another aspect of his brother's being he could do naught to change and no longer wasted effort trying.

The daiyoukai tossed the sword he was currently holding to Inuyasha and bent to get himself another despite the pain, schooling his expression under Inuyasha's gaze. Though this injury Inuyasha had seen happen with his own eyes, he had lied to the hanyou, claiming superior healing abilities had already fixed things by the next morning, and that was some days ago. While it may be true the wound had closed, the damage was far from taken care of and the pain still very real.

The daiyoukai was aware his pride was doing him more harm than good, but he simply found it impossible to give it up when it was starting to feel like it was all he had left of himself.

Resigned to another training session of pointless misery, Sesshomaru closed his fist around the handle of the wooden sword, feeling the slight hum of magic come from its very core. A simple durability charm to protect the wood, which would never withstand the strength of an inuyoukai otherwise, even a half-breed such as Inuyasha. Such practicality was common of his father, a stark contrast to his mother's manipulations.

He took his usual position at one end of the boundary he'd had marked out for their training sessions, planning to incorporate rules and challenges to help Inuyasha's progression, such as a step beyond the boundary counting as a loss, but any hope of a structure to these bouts had long since flown away. It was a pattern he was beginning to realise repeated itself where Inuyasha was concerned.

The hanyou took his habitual place opposite Sesshomaru, one sleeve of his haori dragged across his nose. "You're wearing that flowery shit _again_? What the fuck, Sesshomaru? You finally stop wearing it about a week ago, then you start up again? Seriously, what the fuck are you doing?" Inuyasha exhaled sharply, as though trying to expel the scent from his nose. "You look like a fucking girl enough as it is, don't make it worse. Shit."

Sesshomaru's jaw clenched and slowly released. His knuckles cracked against the hilt of his wooden sword. Inuyasha was only useful to him alive, he reminded himself. If he was useful at all.

Controlling his anger was made easier by the fact that he... almost agreed with Inuyasha. With the sentiment of trying to get the scent out of his nose, at least. Constant exposure to this potion was beginning to make him feel nauseous, just another inconvenience he suffered through for the sake of his pride.

The daiyoukai pointed his weapon at his little brother and, from somewhere, he managed to pull a small smile onto his face. "If you have time to think about my supposed flaws, Inuyasha, could you perhaps explain why you have failed time and time again to call the Tetsusaiga to your will?" His voice was soft as silk, for he knew that would make it grate all the more harshly in those ridiculous furred ears.

The hanyou bared his teeth in a growl. "Why the fuck do you still assume it's my fault? Maybe your damn training is what's really flawed around here. I got better with the old man."

"A pathetic argument, but intelligent nonetheless for one such as you," Sesshomaru responded smoothly, perversely finding a little of his footing again. This was familiar, a fight he could... enjoy simply because the only thing at stake was the right to gloat another day. "The Tetsusaiga would respond to me, as it did to father. Perhaps your abilities were overestimated and you simply do not have the power to wield it."

The reaction was instantaneous. One moment, Inuyasha stood before him, angry but calm; the next, he was all but flying across the training grounds with his sword slashing at Sesshomaru's head. The blow was easily deflected, but Inuyasha allowed the momentum to carry him further, using it to help him spring off the wall in an impressive display of athleticism and return for another attack, which the daiyoukai sidestepped.

They took off running at the same time. The entire castle grounds was their battlefield as, each driven by his own reasons, they sought the other's defeat. It was no longer training; it was, simply, a fight.

This, Sesshomaru realised, was a large part of why Inuyasha had not yet improved. He allowed his temper to get the better of him, he would attack, and what could have been a productive training session devolved instead into a pointless battle.

He could have stopped it. It was wreaking havoc on his healing; his back felt as though it was on fire, tearing anew. Yet his pride smothered the logical impulse and led him to indulge Inuyasha's unrestrained temper instead, knowing he would never live it down if he was the one to end things without knocking the hanyou flat first.

And there was a part of him, he admitted, that relished the victories he had over his brother when others were seemingly slipping steadily from his grasp.

Perhaps it wasn't even as within his control as he thought, he mused, as he traded vicious blows with the hanyou. Their personalities were so conflicting, their dislike so deep and so old, that this might even be inevitable. Like oil and water, they would never mix; their differences sparked a conflagration that would burn for all eternity across the surface, preventing any chance of reconciliation.

He supposed, in the grand scale of things, it mattered not. Neither desired to rebuild any burned bridges between them. And if Inuyasha truly did not have the power to help, this one last gamble he'd made to save this land and his life will have come to naught. He would send Inuyasha away and face his fate straight-backed and without flinching.

Sesshomaru cut himself off there. Such fatalistic views were beneath him even in his current situation and he would not indulge in such morbid thoughts. It was not befitting a daiyoukai of his stature. It was time to end this entire farce with his brother and retreat into the castle to tend his wounds. He was almost certain some of the still tender flesh had split.

However, just as he cornered the hanyou to do just that, a blaze of youki bombarded his senses outside the castle gates and he turned, Inuyasha all but forgotten.

A single trail of sweat trickled down Sesshomaru's spine, but he ignored it. Another challenger so soon? He already ached from this mock battle with Inuyasha, and this youkai was stronger by far than the most recent. A worthy opponent for him at full strength. Now...

Whatever it meant for him, the challenge was clear as day. All servant activity around him had ceased as they waited for his response. Even Inuyasha was still; he could feel the hanyou's eyes on him. There was no way he could or would back away from this.

The wooden sword fell from his grasp as he began walking at a steady pace toward the gates. This time, it was not pain that checked his speed, but a refusal to allow this trespasser to make him hurry. This fight was on his land; he would come to it on his own terms and no one else's.

"Open the gates," he commanded as he drew closer, the order to close them again after being left unspoken. Simply unnecessary, after how many times this had played out in recent months. Barring the imp, most of those who served him were satisfyingly competent enough that he rarely had to make his needs known.

The heavy ivory gates parted slowly and Sesshomaru gained his first sight of his opponent. It had him stiffening even more.

He wore a stainless white hakama and haori with green patterning at the sleeves. The obi tied neatly at his waist was green and yellow and secured a sword at his hip. His shoulders were guarded by thick, scaled pauldrons that connected to a dark grey chestplate.

His hair was not white, and yet nor was it silver; it fell to a shade somewhere between, and sat high on his head in a long tail that fell down his back. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he examined the stranger's face. Three smooth lines of dark red curved across his cheeks, matching the slashes of colour on his upper eyelids.

But it was the mark on his forehead that truly gave everything away. It was a perfectly formed crescent moon, the exact shape, size and colour of Sesshomaru's.

This challenger was not simply a youkai. He was inuyoukai.

Sesshomaru walked out onto the bridge, locking gazes with eyes that were a darker and somehow colder gold than his own. Those eyes saw only his death.

Yet Sesshomaru was not a youkai to be cowed easily, even with diminished strength. He walked with his back straight and his head held high, his gaze never once wavering, and remained at his own pace. It was only when he drew close enough to be heard without raising his voice that he stopped.

"You, of the same blood as I, come to challenge me? What is the meaning of this?"

The stranger's lips twisted up into an arrogant smirk, revealing a fang. "You're doing a poor job protecting your land, Sesshomaru... or should that be _Lord_ Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed further. "If you know my name, you can supply yours. Your face is unknown to me."

"As well it should be," came the cryptic response. "My branch of the family tree has been unwelcome in this land since your father took up rule."

"And yet you return. Explain."

The inuyoukai barked a laugh. "You can't order me around like one of your servants, my _lord_ ," he said, voice dripping with acidic humour. "Yet since I want you to know exactly why you must die, I shall tell you nonetheless."

Sesshomaru waited as the inuyoukai paused, his expression not altering despite how the silence stretched. If this fool thought he would be impressed by such theatrics, he was mistaken.

Those dark eyes began glimmering with festering rage. "Did your esteemed father ever tell you how he came to rule the Western Lands?" he asked, voice deceptively smooth.

Sesshomaru's shoulders stiffened imperceptibly. He didn't like where this was going. In truth, he had never thought to ask how his father came to be the ruler of this territory. In his mind, such things had simply been, without need for explanation.

"He stole it, that's how," the stranger growled. "This land was meant to be my father's, not his! Succession was handed over to him, and your father insisted on fighting for it. And for the female who came with the title."

In spite of himself, Sesshomaru felt a jolt. He was well aware there was no love lost between his parents and that his mother had, at times, resented her husband and her marriage, yet she'd never mentioned this even once. It led him to believe it was not true, yet a small doubt remained.

Now was not the time to worry about such things, however.

"And so you seek revenge against me for my father's doing? How petty," he replied, satisfied with the flash that went through the inuyoukai's eyes. "You were not brave enough to challenge my father directly, I see, but you hope I will prove to be weaker. A foolish assumption."

The rage rippled across the inuyoukai's face, yet he managed to bring back his smirk. "Such confidence from one in your position is admirable, but laughable. Do you think it has gone unnoticed how you are slowly failing as protector of these lands?"

"You show more cowardice by admitting as much," the daiyoukai countered. "Have you bided your time until you believed my strength had diminished enough that you could win without giving such a pathetic plan away? Such a coward cannot defeat me."

The inuyoukai shifted his stance ever so slightly, but to Sesshomaru, it was a warning sign as bold as the hand that rested on the hilt of his sword. He was prepared to attack at any moment. Sesshomaru mirrored his movements, flexing his fingers.

"You would truly draw your sword against a fellow kinsman over something so petty?"

The stranger barked a laugh. "Any claims of shared blood matter not in this battle." He smiled slowly. "Besides, such an argument from you is ridiculous. I've heard you hate your own brother... yet as I've also heard he's nothing but a half-breed mongrel, I suppose I can't fault you there. Your father fell from grace in the last years of his life to get tangled up with a human, wouldn't you agree?"

"You will leave Inuyasha out of this," Sesshomaru warned.

"Oh?" The dark eyes sparked with interest. "Protecting your brother, are you? Had a change of heart? How surprising..."

Sesshomaru didn't so much as blink. He protected his father's reputation, but he felt no need to explain himself. "Hardly," he said instead. "You seem to like hearing yourself talk, so I felt it necessary to keep you focused on the issue at hand."

The inuyoukai sneered, but his eyes became harder at the insult. "Very well, then," he said. "Shall we begin? I, Tetsuhiro, will take your head and my birthright along with it!"

In the next instant, he had vanished from sight, leaving only a cloud of dust in his wake. Yet Sesshomaru was prepared, and blocked the slash of the sword with his claws, knocking it aside as the inuyoukai - Tetsuhiro, he had called himself - reappeared before him.

They leapt apart and charged each other, Sesshomaru's claws striking metal again and again as he blocked and dodged the vicious swipes, but he began to realise that was all they were. There was no finesse to this brutal assault; it was like fighting a stronger version of Inuyasha. It seemed Tetsuhiro's rage was clouding his better judgement.

In the next charge, he changed tactics. Instead of blocking and attacking in turn, he ducked under a blow and reached up, catching Tetsuhiro's wrist. Wasting no time, he twisted sharply, heard the bone crack and saw the sword fall from his grip, but before he could take it or otherwise remove it from Tetsuhiro's possession, acid-tipped claws streaked by his face and he was forced to retreat.

Tetsuhiro stood over his dropped weapon and cradled his damaged wrist. "I see," he said almost thoughtfully. "Your boasts about your strength were indeed not false. It seems I cannot simply vent my rage on your battered body as I wish, my lord." He smiled cruelly as he twisted his own wrist, setting the bones back into place with a grinding crunch. "At least, not yet."

He bent and retrieved his weapon with his left hand, but Sesshomaru could see the fingers of his right slowly flexing already. Such a wound wasn't terribly debilitating to an inuyoukai at full strength and health; it had merely been to buy himself a bit of time.

This time, the daiyoukai did not wait for Tetushiro to attack first. He launched the offensive himself, making it the inuyoukai's turn to defend himself against a barrage of attacks. Sesshomaru used this distraction to suddenly spin, kicking with all his strength at Tesuhiro's midsection.

He both felt and heard the armour crack under the force of the blow, and Tetsuhiro himself was launched of his feet to fly some distance away. Sesshomaru watched dispassionately as the inuyoukai pushed himself back up, a snarl marring his otherwise handsome features.

"Someone of such poor skill as yours cannot win against me," the daiyoukai said as he cracked his knuckles in warning. "Or did you forget who it was that trained me in battle? You learned from an inferior fighter, Tetsuhiro."

"How dare you," Tetsuhiro growled as his eyes bled red and his pupils constricted to pinpricks of blue. "I'll kill you!"

Sesshomaru met his charge head on, summoning all the strength he had left. He could win if he finished this quickly before his strength flagged. He refused to die on the sword of a coward like Tetsuhiro. With his eyes as red as his opponent's, Sesshomaru threw everything into his assault, driving him back inch by inch as he forced himself to forget everything but the need to win this battle.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning... I am fail at writing violence.

Some fifteen feet above the two youkai, Inuyasha sat on the castle walls and watched as they faced off on the other side of the bridge. He'd been quite surprised when he'd seen it was another inuyoukai come to challenge Sesshomaru; aside from how he was treated, he'd been given the impression by his old man that the inuyoukai clan was at least civil with each other if nothing better. So why, then, was this new pretty boy coming to make things difficult for Sesshomaru?

Could it be just a matter of succession? The rest of the clan, wherever they chose to hide out, were unhappy with how Sesshomaru was handling things and wanted a change of ruler? Was that why Sesshomaru had asked for _his_ help? He hadn't wanted to make it worse for himself?

No, it didn't make sense; why would they send someone to fight Sesshomaru for control of the land instead of just taking a vote or something? Sesshomaru was too damn proud to fight like a trapped animal, so he'd salvage what was left of his reputation and leave. But then again... it was their father's castle. Would he really give that up so easily?

Inuyasha sighed to himself and flicked an ear irritably. This was why he didn't want anything to do with politics. He liked things straight forward and upfront.

There was always the chance it could be some sort of personal grudge, he decided. There was no reason why Sesshomaru and this new inuyoukai _had_ to get along; if there wasn't any steadfast rule about real blood family sticking together, he supposed simple clan members weren't exempt, either.

He wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying and confirm either way, but it was pretty likely. After all, Sesshomaru had long since perfected the art of pissing people off.

Today had been yet another brilliant example.

He didn't get why Sesshomaru had to keep ragging him about Tetsusaiga. If the bastard actually wanted him to improve and help, shouldn't he be encouraging him instead? Bashing his self-esteem over and over again was hindering his progress more than anything, and no amount of determination to shove his victory in Sesshomaru's face could make up for it.

But then again, maybe Sesshomaru _didn't_ want him to improve. As the days went by, he was beginning to put more credence in his theory that his brother wanted Tetsusaiga for himself. It would make sense for Sesshomaru to take the sword from Inuyasha after proving his hanyou brother was unable to wield it.

Inuyasha gripped Tetsusaiga's hilt, hard. Like hell he was gonna let that happen. He'd cut off Sesshomaru's arm before he let him take the Tetsusaiga away.

He had to learn how to awaken Tetsusaiga's power, and soon. It was the only way he was going to make it out of this with the upper hand. All other roads led to him being left with nothing but the option to slink away in defeat.

Speaking of defeat, this new challenger seemed to be heading toward a loss. Sesshomaru had been deflecting the sword blows with his claws alone (Inuyasha was reluctantly impressed), and now a solid roundhouse kick had sent the inuyoukai flying. Even high above them, Inuyasha heard the crack of the armour.

The inuyoukai got back up, and they started talking _again_. Inuyasha frowned. Why was there so much grandstanding with purebloods? Couldn't they just start beating the shit out of each other and save the chatting for later? He didn't get it. Sesshomaru always felt the need to stop every now and again and start _talking_ ; it drove Inuyasha mad sometimes.

At least it didn't last long this time. Sesshomaru was the first to launch the next offensive, and Inuyasha found himself leaning forward in spite of himself, feeling the same old grudging respect for his brother's strength well up as he watched Sesshomaru drive back a youkai with a sword using his bare hands alone.

Things began getting more serious. As the other inuyoukai regained his footing, Sesshomaru began to fall back. The daiyoukai leapt away, the long green whip thing he had lashing out from the tips of two fingers, slicing toward his opponent. Said opponent dodged or blocked most blows while pressing steadily closer.

They were pretty evenly matched, Inuyasha decided. The scales tipped back and forth between them, but never swayed heavily toward either side. This was going to be the kind of battle that lasted until all strength and stamina flagged and the slightest wrong move became the deciding factor.

Inuyasha wanted to be closer, to observe and learn what he could, but there was no way he was stupid enough to get close to two warring inuyoukai. He settled instead for running along the wall until he was perched on top of the great gate, leaning forward as far as he safely could. It wasn't much of an improvement, but it was better than nothing.

It was actually oddly nostalgic. He remembered spying on Sesshomaru's battles as a child, also from a relatively safe, high vantage point. Those battles had all been training exercises with their father, but the young pup had been fascinated nonetheless. He'd been both awestruck by and envious of his brother's strength.

"I wanna grow up and be strong like Sesshomaru!" he'd later declared to his father when it was just the two of them. "Train me!"

Inuyasha shook his head as though to dispel the memory. He hadn't thought about that in years. It came from a time when he'd been so terribly naive and hadn't yet learned just how much Sesshomaru hated and resented him. He'd still been clinging to some ill-conceived notion that if he could just prove himself to be more than just a hanyou, Sesshomaru would accept him.

Well, he'd figured it out not long after. But he'd kept up the training anyway.

Forcing his attention away from memory lane and back to the situation at present, Inuyasha found himself starting to frown. If he wasn't seeing things, it almost seemed as though Sesshomaru was... slowing down. But that was impossible. However much of an asshole the daiyoukai was, he had the strength to back up the title. So why was he tiring already?

Was it their "training" earlier? No, that couldn't possibly be it. Neither of them had even been winded by that. It had been little more than light exercise. So what, then?

Then he remembered: Sesshomaru had had a fight recently. Hadn't been a tough battle, really, but the youkai had been quick and sneaky and managed to take a shot at Sesshomaru's back. He remembered how thunderously pissed the bastard had looked at the time and had felt a bit like laughing, but the trail of blood on the ground in Sesshomaru's wake stopped him.

But Sesshomaru had said he was fine the next morning. And he'd been moving as fluidly as ever, so Inuyasha had believed it to be true. He'd even been envious of his healing abilities, because such a wound would have laid the hanyou up for a few days, at the very least.

Had Sesshomaru lied to him? Was his back still giving him problems, and that was why things were starting to go downhill? Inuyasha unconsciously bared his teeth as he watched, eyes riveted to the battle as the two youkai, now toe-to-toe again, circled and slashed at each other, retreating and advancing... but Sesshomaru was losing ground. Gradually getting slower.

It wasn't a fair fight if Sesshomaru was suffering with an injury. He knew that didn't mean jack in a real fight, but weren't these two meant to be allies to some extent? Shouldn't this guy give Sesshomaru time to heal before fighting him? If it was explained, would the fight stop? Sure, Sesshomaru might hate him for pointing out a weakness, but...

Suddenly, the attacker's sword changed motion in mid-air and slashed viciously at Sesshomaru's mid-section. The daiyoukai saw it coming, but wasn't quite fast enough to dodge away; a thin shower of red flew up into the air as the sword scraped his chest.

Sesshomaru leapt back again while the other inuyoukai held up his sword, making a show of licking the blood from the edge of his blade.

Inuyasha's legs tensed, braced and ready. His hand gripped Tetsusaiga's hilt. Obviously, this youkai wasn't going to listen to reasoning. Not when he obviously took pleasure in the sight and taste of his opponent's blood. That meant Sesshomaru was stuck seeing this through to the end... but what end would that be, if he was at a disadvantage?

He wanted to get in there and help. For all his plans to use Sesshomaru and run, for all the pent up hate and bitterness, he couldn't just sit here and watch him get cut to pieces. But what good would he be? Without Tetsusaiga's transformation, all he had were his claws, and though they had served him well, they were as useless as the rusty sword at his hip against a youkai as strong as Sesshomaru.

But when the inuyoukai charged again and Sesshomaru retreated, relying on his whip instead of a counter attack - something unheard of - Inuyasha found himself jumping down from the gate and charging in before he'd even thought to do so.

Now that he'd apparently decided to do this, he had to be clever about it. Fighting fair was stupid in a fight to the death, and so he circled around behind the other inuyoukai, lashing out with Tetsusiga. The blade was dull and useless and wouldn't do any damage, but it might distract the bastard long enough for Sesshomaru to gain some kind of advantage.

Before he could land the blow, a foot shot out and caught him in the stomach, launching him backwards off his feet. Coughing, he sprung back up and found he'd barely interrupted their stride, but Sesshomaru was glaring at him.

"Leave!" the daiyoukai shouted, his voice more guttural than usual. "You're in the way!"

"You brought me here to help, didn't you?" he countered as he lifted Tetsusaiga again. "Just let me help!"

"Leave!" the daiyoukai said again, even as he dodged a vicious downward slash of a sword.

The enemy youkai laughed coldly. "How wonderfully touching," he sneered. "Is the great Lord Sesshomaru building bridges between himself and his mongrel sibling? Very well, then. I shall kill you both and end your despicable father's line once and for all."

"You will die here, Tetsuhiro," Sesshomaru replied coolly, but Inuyasha could see the signs of fatigue. His breathing had quickened, his mouth parted slightly, close to panting. He was keeping distance between himself and Tetsuhiro, giving himself room to dodge to compensate for his reflexes.

How could Inuyasha just back away from the fight now?

Yet he found he really couldn't be of much use. Sesshomaru and Tetsuhiro continued their deadly dance, and blood steadily stained their clothes from each landed blow, but there was little Inuyasha could do. He waited for openings, trying to get in close enough to land a strike of his own, but every time he was knocked back.

His cheek was split open from a backhanded fist, and the fingers of his right hand had been feeling a little tingly ever since Tetsuhiro's foot had clipped him just above the elbow, but he was still determined to help, somehow. Breathing a little harder himself, he kept his eyes trained on the battle, looking for more openings.

Then he saw one. As the two purebloods clashed yet again, Tetsuhiro's back was compeltely open. Sesshomaru had hold of his sword, their free hands carrying out yet another kind of duel, and no one was paying attention to Inuyasha at all.

Wasting no time, he leapt forward, slashing down with his sword and, to the surprise of all three, the dull blade cracked against his right shoulder. For a moment, no one moved.

Tetsuhiro recovered first. A hard, fast kick to Sesshomaru's chest, right where he'd been slashed earlier, had the daiyoukai falling backwards. He then turned on Inuyasha, lashing out it with his sword.

The Tetsusaiga's blade might be rusty, but it was surprisingly sturdy. Instinct had Inuyasha swinging it up to block the blow, both blades clashing with a loud ring. The hanyou had to use both hands (one at the hilt and one closer to the tip) to stop Tetsuhiro pushing through his defence, and even then, his arms shook under the force. And the inuyoukai was only using one hand.

"You're irritating," he spat, lifting the other above his head. A green halo appeared around it, and before he even smelled the acidic bite in the air, Inuyasha knew it was poison. Just like Sesshomaru.

"Die!" That hand shot forward, claws sharp as knives, heading straight for Inuyasha's head. He had no way to defend himself. If he moved either one of his hands, that sword would cut him down. If he did nothing, he'd lose his head, if he was lucky, rather than have it melted off.

Watching that hand coming at him, eyes wide, all he could think was _shit_.


	6. Chapter 6

It was cowardly, but at the last moment, Inuyasha closed his eyes. He'd always hoped he'd stare his death straight in the face when it came, but he found it was harder than he ever thought it would be to watch it happen. With his mind panicking, he found himself latching onto random thoughts.

_Does it hurt to die?_

_Will I see my parents again?_

_Did dad close his eyes at the end?_

He heard the strike impact flesh, felt his body jerk, but the pain never came. The rational part of his mind assumed he was in shock and waited for the searing agony to start. It didn't.

Instead, he was lifted off his feet and began moving backwards. His startled eyes popped open just in time to see Tetsuhiro's claws leaving Sesshomaru's forearm, clenching and tearing the flesh, as the two of them sailed backwards.

Sesshomaru landed in a crouch, dropping Inuyasha on his ass. The hanyou looked up at him, for a moment unsure what to say. Sesshomaru's hair was dishevelled and windswept, and a light sheen of sweat glittered on his forehead. There was a smear of blood on his cheek running down to his neck from a graze on his face, and he was panting. His clothes were ripped and torn and the peeks of pale flesh beneath were stained red more often than not.

It was the first time Inuyasha had ever seen him actually look like he'd been in a fight. Even when his back got hurt, he'd come out of the rest of it fairly immaculate.

"Sesshomaru..." he began, not sure what he wanted to say but feeling like he should say _something_ , but he was cut off.

"This is why I told you to leave," the daiyoukai snapped curtly without looking at him. He stood, and a trail of blood ran out from under his left sleeve to drip off his little finger. "If you're going to get yourself killed the moment my back is turned, I have no use for you."

Ears laying low in his hair, Inuyasha felt that like a physical blow. He hated to admit it, but Sesshomaru was right. If Sesshomaru had been having trouble, had he honestly thought he could somehow turn the tide? Half-youkai meant half the power, after all; it was that simple. He'd always known that. His claws could only take him so far.

As Sesshomaru headed back toward the fight, Inuyasha stood and turned away, for once willing to listen to what his older brother told him to do and get out of the way. He might not shed a tear if Sesshomaru died (well, he didn't really know about that, but...), but he wouldn't be responsible for it.

He still burned, though, with both anger and embarrassment. He clenched his fist around Tetsusaiga's hilt, still unsheathed in his hand, and glared down at the blade. Was it so beyond him to use this damn sword? All through that battle - if his "contribution" could be called that - he'd been trying his hardest to... to summon it or whatever he had to do to get it to work.

He'd been focusing everything he had on trying to find the strength, or get stronger. Couldn't he catch a break? Was it so much to ask to just have the strength to kill that bastard, Tetsuhiro?

As if the thought had been a cue, Tetsuhiro's laugh slowed Inuyasha's steps. "What's this I see?" the inuyoukai sneered. "The _proud_ and _mighty_ Lord Sesshomaru on his knees?"

Scarce able to believe it, Inuyasha spun on his heels, but there it was. Sesshomaru kneeling in the dirt, winded and bloodied. Tetsuhiro was also dishevelled and panting, but he was the one standing with his sword about to strike a killing blow. Though Sesshomaru was trying to stand, at this rate, he wasn't going to be able to get away quick enough.

Inuyasha acted on pure instinct. It seemed like one moment he was standing there, paralysed, and the next he was barrelling into Tetsuhiro at full tilt, knocking him away just as the sword swung down, narrowly missing the kneeling daiyoukai.

Knowing full well it might be as good as suicide, he backed off and planted himself in front of Sesshomaru, the thin blade of Tetsusaiga pointing straight at the other inuyoukai. Tetsuhiro steadied himself and turned to face them both fully, levelling his thicker and stronger sword straight at Inuyasha's chest.

"Well, well, isn't this touching?" he said. "The mongrel whelp willing to die for the brother who will never accept him. Fond of rejection, are you?" He laughed to himself. "Well, no matter. There isn't much you can do with that rusty toothpick. I'll just send you both to hell together!" His sword lifted high in the air, glinting in the sunlight.

"Inuyasha, move!" Sesshomaru shouted behind him. "Don't be a fool!"

"Shut up!" he growled back. "You think I can just stand there and watch you die?! I'm going to save your sorry ass even if it kills me!"

He swung the Tetsusaiga to meet Tetsuhiro's blow and was almost blinded by the bright yellow-gold light that erupted from it. It shot forward in three streaks that tore everything in their path, be it the ground or the enemy before them. Through the glare, Inuyasha saw it strike the inuyoukai full in the chest, heard his yell of pain and fury, before he lost all sight of him.

When the light faded, Inuyasha stared in shock at the devastation left behind. The gouges in the earth looked more like the claws of a mighty youkai than the work of a single sword, albeit one that looked much different than it had a moment ago. He hefted it in the air, testing its weight. He now understood why Sesshomaru sometimes referred to it as the fang.

"You managed it," he heard Sesshomaru say behind him, softly. "The Kaze no Kizu."

Inuyasha turned, ready to gloat, only to find Sesshomaru sitting on the dusty ground. His clothes and skin were smeared with dirt, and his hair clung to the perspiration on his face and neck. His shoulders drooped, making the mighty daiyoukai seem somehow small and almost fragile, and his eyes were shadowed with fatigue and pain.

And hanging by his side, limp and useless, was his left arm, sleeve stained with blood and his fingers painted an angry red-purple with poison.

"I had wondered if you would ever be able to," the daiyoukai continued. "You always manage to surprise me when I least expect it."

Inuyasha stared for a moment, jarred by the image of his brother looking so... so helpess, then suddenly started as the arm gave a jerk like a puppet with its strings tugged. It wasn't destroyed, he realised. There was still some hope. If they got help, Sesshomaru should be able to recover. But time was of the essence.

He dropped to a crouch beside Sesshomaru, holding out a hand to help him up. "Never mind that," he said impatiently. "We've gotta get you back to the castle. Come on, get up."

To his surprise, Sesshomaru shook his head and gripped his own arm rather than the outstretched hand. "No... there's no time." The daiyoukai closed his tired eyes, a dreadful resignation settling on his face. "Like this... as I am now... I can't fight it off. It has to come off or the poison will take my life."

The hanyou blinked, his ears flattening against his skull in worry. Never in his life had he ever heard Sesshomaru sound anything less than confident, but now... now, his voice was so quiet, so defeated.

Then the meaning behind what Sesshomaru was actually saying caught up with him and Inuyasha found himself pushing back and away from him, scooting backwards and shaking his head over and over. "I can't do that," he began faintly, his voice gradually gaining more strength as the enormity of the request sunk in until it ended with a shout: "I can't cut off your fucking arm!"

Sesshomaru opened his eyes again. They'd brightened again, shining with his grim determination. "You must." A faint smile curved his lips, but it lacked mirth. "Didn't you once swear you would be the one to kill me? Take the arm or Tetsuhiro will beat you to it."

Inuyasha jolted a little at the memory. He'd only been a child, and it had only been something shouted in a moment of fear and anger, but apparently it had stuck with Sesshomaru all these years.

While he hesitated, Sesshomaru fisted his hand in the cloth of his sleeve and pulled, tearing the sodden material away. What it revealed made Inuyasha's stomach clench as everything inside him rebelled at the sight.

From just above the elbow to the tips of the fingers, the arm was discoloured and swollen. The wound where Tetsuhiro's claws had slashed the flesh of his forearm was open almost down to the bone and leaking blood and pus, the edges dark and necrotic. The blackness was beginning to spread out at all sides, and Inuyasha knew then, with chilling certainty, there was no reversing the damage. The toxins were in too deep, the flesh too deteriorated.

As he stared at it, Sesshomaru lifted the arm until he had it level above the ground. It wavered in the air, and the daiyoukai's face showed his pain, but his eyes were clear and unwavering as they met Inuyasha's. "Do it," he said quietly. "Or leave me here to die in peace."

Something flew into Inuyasha's eyes and made them sting and water as he stood and lifted the Tetsusaiga above his head. The whistle as it rushed through the air seemed loud to the hanyou, and the sound of it slicing cleanly through flesh and bone made his gorge rise.

The arm fell free and hit the ground with a burst of blood, sickly sweet with the smell of poison and decay. Though he had clearly been bracing himself, the shock of it was evidently too much, and Sesshomaru cried out in pain, his hand instantly clutching the bleeding stump just below his shoulder.

The cry had Inuyasha dropping his sword as though it had burnt him, falling to his knees in front of his brother. His hands were shaking as he pushed Sesshomaru's hair out of his face, but he didn't care. "Sesshomaru! Talk to me!"

Despite the contortion of agony his face had become, Sesshomaru managed to open one eye gone hazy with the pain. "It's fine," he said through gritted teeth. "More shocking than I was anticipating, that's all." He looked down at his arm on the ground, the blood leaking through his fingers, and sucked in a shaky breath that hit Inuyasha right under the ribs. "The bleeding. It has to be stopped."

"R-right... We need..." Inuyasha trailed off and looked around, at a loss. Then he spotted the silk of Sesshomaru's torn sleeve discarded on the ground and quickly snatched it up, gently prying his brother's remaining hand - feeling a chill for thinking of it that way - away and pressing the fabric against the flow of blood. Sesshomaru hissed in renewed pain, and before he realised what he was doing, he found himself leaning their foreheads together, his free hand cradling the back of Sesshomaru's head.

He didn't know how long they stayed there, but to Iuyasha's surprise, Sesshomaru didn't push him away. It was actually him who ended the contact, pulling back and resting his hand on his brother's shoulder instead. "We still need to get back to the castle," he murmured. "You need help."

Sesshomaru opened his eyes once again and nodded. "Yes," was all he said. He seemed too tired and drained for much else.

Inuyasha quickly tied the silk cloth around the stump, wincing whenever Sesshomaru made a noise. It was a rough job, but would serve until they reached home. He then sheathed his sword and slid his shoulder under the daiyoukai's arm, helping him to stand, silently accepting more weight than Sesshomaru would ever have willingly surrendered.

The entire walk back passed in silence. He couldn't have said what was going on in Sesshomaru's mind, but Inuyasha was rapidly re-evaluating everything he'd been planning up to this point. He could no longer stand to be selfish about this.

He'd planned to come here and learn how to use the Tetsusaiga. Provided he could call its power up again, he had accomplised that. But now, instead of running away with the knowledge, he wanted to stay and use it.

He wanted to stay and protect his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt really bad writing this one...


End file.
